Car-coupling



(No Model.) J. W LANGFITT.

. v GAB COUPLING" No. 2 0,759. v Eatented July 11, 1882.

l l I! l i r I ll I I 1 H 1" T n l M L n" in a $452M 0 MY.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN W. LANGFITT, OF REDFIELD, IOWA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 260,759, dated July 11,1882.

Application filed February 6, 1882. (N0 model.)

The objects of my invention are to avoid the.

dangers, accidents, and loss of life and property incident to the use ofcoupling devices on railway-cars thatrequire persons to go between carsto couple and uncouple them when connected with a locomotive and train;to prevent acar from being automatically coupled when desired, and tolook a coupling-link to a draw-head to prevent accidental uncouplingwhenever it seems necessary in moving a car or train by means of alocomotive-engine.

It consists, first,in dividing a draw-head longitudinally in such amanner that the upper portion will act like ajaw, by force ofgravity, toengage the head ofaconpling-link that moves and rests upon the lowerportion of the same draw-head; second, in combining a lockingbar with acar and draw-head in such a manner that the vertically-moving sectionand jaw of the draw-head can be readily locked down upon the lowersection to close the mouth of the draw-head, as required, to prevent thehead of a coupling-link from entering, to thereby make it inoperative asan automatic coupler, or, as required, to fasten the head of the pin toprevent accidental uncoupling, all as hereinafter set forth.

Heretofore draw-heads have been divided longitudinally in such a mannerthat a barb headed link would, under longitudinal press ure, lift theupper jaw and allow the head of the link to advance between the jawsinto a cavity to engage both the upper and lower jaws. By my manner offorming a cavity and. shoulder in the upper jaw only and a smoothsurface on the upper side of the lower jaw, I adapt the complete deviceto be automatically coupled and also uncoupled in case of accident byforce of gravity.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal half-section ofmy coupling,'and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my coupling and lockingdevice combined on a car. To-

gether these figures clearly illustrate the construction, application,and operation of my 7 complete invention.

. A represents a car.

B is a frame fixed to the bottom of the car to support my divideddraw-head in such a manner as to allow it longitudinal play.

0 represents a cavity or parallel openings in the sides of the frame B.

No. 1 is the upper jaw of the draw-head,

formed integral with the rear end and barf. It has a cavit v,t', in itscentral portion, adapted to receive and retain the head of a link, acontracted throat, 7c, and a flaring lip, an.

No.2 is the lower section of the draw-head, hinged to the rear end ofthe section No. 1 by means of plates or cars a, that may be castintegral therewith or fixed thereto in any suitable way. It has a throatand lip corresponding with the upper No. 1 section, but no cavity toadmit the head of a coupling-link.

r is across-piece fixed to the frame B, to support the completedraw-headand to retain the hinged section 'in a horizontal position and levelrelative to the car and track.

8 represents a rodv orchain connected with the front end and upper lipof the draw-head and to'a lever attached to the car in such a mannerthat the section and jaw No. 1 can be readily lifted therewith withoutgoing between the cars.

it is a bifurcated plate, fixed to the front end of the ear and theframe B in such a manner that it will form a bearing to govern thevertical movements of the 'jaw No. 1, and also a loop within which toslide a bar or bolt to lock the same jaw down upon the hinged undersection and jaw No. 2, that rests upon the crossbar r.

w" is a, bolt that slides horizontally in the loop it over and acrossthe movable jaw No. 1.

y is a lever pivoted to the front of the car,

TOO

and connected with the locking-bolt win such a manner that the bolt canbe readily operated by means of the lever without going between thecars.

In the practical operation of my invention a link, x, having a barb orhead at each end, is placed between the jaws No. 1 and No. 2 of mydraw-head, as shown in Fig. 1, by simply pushing it through the mouthand throat with sufficient force to lift the jaw No. 1 so as to allowthe head of the link to enter the cavity 73. The jaw No. 1 will, byforce of gravity, close down upon thojaw No. 2 and retain the head ofthe link and hold the complete link in a horizontal position, so thatits opposite end and head will project to enter a corresponding drawheadon 3ll0thPCtll,\VhCllOV6[ thetwocarseome together on the track, toautomatically couple them together.

To look a link fast in the draw-head, I sim ply slide the boltw over thejaw No. 1, as shown in Fig. 2. To make the draw-head inoperative, asrequired, to prevent coupling, 1 withdraw the link and lock the jaw No.l in the same manner as I do for retaining a link and preventingaccidental uncoupling, or retain the jaw No. l elevated by means of therod 8 and the lever connectedtherewith.

In case of a car getting oh" the track and ditched, or in fallingthrough a bridge, its downward pressure upon the end of thecoupling-link connected therewith will cause the link to act like alever of the first order to pry up thejaw No. 1 of the draw-head on thecontiguons car sufticientl y to allow the head of the link to escapefrom the cavity 1', and thus become automatically uncoupled to prevent afalling car from dragging down and damaging the other part of the train.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of anupper section and jaw No. 1, having a flaring lip, m, a throat, 7c, andcavity 1', with a corresponding lowerjaw No. 2, having a smooth topsurface to operate, by force of gravity, in ad mitting, holding, andliberating the barb or head of a coupling-link, substantially as shownand described, for the purposes specified.

2. The locking device S ta; 1 in combination with a vertically-movingsection and jaw No. 1 of a draw-head, substantially as shown anddescribed, to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposesspecified.

3. The improved car-coupling, consisting of J OHN W. LANGFITT.Witnesses:

J AMES DEVON, D. K. Form.

